That Time Moon Knight Took Over the World

Avengers (2018) #33
“Moon Knight vs. the Avengers”
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Javier Garron
Color Artist: Jason Keith
Letterer: VC's Cory Petit
Cover Matteo Scalera & Rachelle Rosenberg
Graphic Designer: Carlos Lao
Asssistant Editor: Martin Biro
Associate Editor: Alanna Smith
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Editor-in-Chief: C.B. Cebulski
Released: May 27, 2020

Last week in this space, I highlighted a moment when Moon Knight hit rock bottom. Or at least the bottom of a water tower. It was an offbeat story in “Power Man and Iron Fist” #87 that I remembered partly for its weirdness, but also as a fun, done-in-one, day in the life of the Marvel Universe story.

To be fair though, Moon Knight is usually more effective than almost dying at the hands of a guy with my build. For example – the time he defeated most of the Avengers and took over the world.

The story starts in “Avengers” (Vol. By the Time You Read This They May be on the Next Volume) #33, with Moon Knight meeting up with Iron Fist on the doorstep of K'un L'un, that mystic martial arts city where Danny Rand grew up and stuck his fist in the molten heart of a dragon. (I won first place in my category at the fourth-grade social studies fair for a project on the Battle of Gettysburg I cobbled together in a little over the week. So we all have our moments.)

Rather than chat about being a street-level vigilante with a mystical origin or about how things have been going since he pulled him out of that water tower, Moon Knight informs Danny he's there for the Iron Fist, then proceeds to out-kung fu him and take the power with a magical ankh amulet. I never would have considered Moon Knight a match for Iron Fist head on, but he even has his own moon-themed moves in the notes.

Next it's on to the Sanctum Sanctorum, where Doctor Strange is contending with mummies and moon wizards. With their help, and empowered by “the biggest supermoon in a million years,” Moon Knight drains Strange's magic with another shiny ankh.

After that he targets an active Avenger, Ghost Rider (Robbie Reyes, aka the Ghost Rider with a Car). But instead of a fight, the man in white just steals his car, in a brazen display of automotive theft the likes of which I haven't seen since Gambit boosted the Batmobile in Marvel vs. DC #2.

Then on to Wakanda, where the moon-themed army is surrounding the royal city. Black Panther, the Avengers' chairman, says he'll go willingly with Spector, who is frustrated because his ankh can't capture the Panther spirit that gives T'Challa his abilities.

Thor is headed back to Earth to assist but finds Moon Knight waiting for him on the Moon. If you think this sounds like home field advantage, you're right, but in Thor's defense, he probably is like me and thought Moon Knight's powers consisted of “being a little stronger when the Moon is full.” I doubt his wiki page had been updated at this point, and I'm not sure Thor carries a smart phone.

Thor chucks Mjolnir at Moon Knight, who stops it in mid-flight and informs Thor that uru, the metal from which the hammer is made, is basically moon rock. Then he uses his moon powers (I guess) to pummel the thunder god with the hammer before sandwiching him between some … other moons?

As Moon Knight's multiple personalities monologue inwardly, he declares himself “Earth's last hope against the Devil” and kneels before Khonshu, his bird skull-headed deity, who says “Now we can save the world.”

That pretty much sums up the revelations of subsequent issues, that Moon Knight and Khonshu did all this to stop Mephisto, who has been pulling the strings behind the scenes of this volume of “Avengers.” In #34, we see Khonshu taking over the world, remaking Manhattan as New Thebes City. The rest of the Avengers (Captain America, She-Hulk, Iron Man, Captain Marvel and Blade*) are forced underground.

The heroic powers Moon Knight's collecting reference the Avengers of 1,000,000 B.C., who were introduced in “Marvel Legacy” #1 and have also been a running theme throughout this Avengers volume. Also on his list to acquire are the Starbrand (now a baby in Avengers' custody) and the Phoenix Force, which kind of gets around these days.

It's a startling power upgrade for Moon Knight but one at least loosely keeping with his theme. Moon Knight's been around a long time, and a lot of people seem to like him, but he comes and goes in, well, phases. You can't blame Aaron for trying something a little different with him and establishing him as a power player, with a chip on his shoulder because many of his peers view him as the crazy superhero.

I won't go through all six parts of the story, but, unshocking spoiler alert, it doesn't last. I believe Moon Knight is back on the street level these days, just in time for his Disney+ show.

* - Yup. Blade's an Avenger now.